Enter Hojo Nakama! The Captain's Proficiency Exam!
by la lune du sang
Summary: A young Soul Reaper Lieutenant uses the chance that Aizen, Gin, and Tosen's defection gives him to finally take the Captain's Proficiency Exam. My version of the Exam with an original character. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Sorry this chapter's so short. It had to be this way cause of all the shiz I packed into the next chapter. Anyway...down to the description.**

**This fanfiction serves two purposes: (1) to show my view of what the Captain's Proficiency Exam is and (2) to introduce my original character, Hojo Nakama. Hojo is a Soul Reaper that is just a bit older than Hitsugaya (about the age of Hinamori and between her and Kira in height). To get a picture of his hair, imagine Kiba Inuzuka's hair; same color but longer (his bangs come down to just below his eyes). His Zanpakto, Kobayashi, is a nodachi (like Hitsugaya's) which he wears on his back. The hilt is green and the guard is ovular with a small grove of trees etched into it. Shikai to be revealed in the next chapter; bankai after that.  
**

**Anyhow, now that I'm done ranting, the main reason I'm introducing Hojo in such detail is because I plan to write him into some of the manga/anime events in a later fanfic. So, for now, meet Hojo!**

**I don't own Bleach. Bleach and all its characters, terms, related media, etc. belong to Kubo-san. The only thing I own is this fanfic, Hojo Nakama, and anything relating to Hojo that is original. Enjoy, and please R&R!  
**

* * *

"For the last time, you can't get in to see the captain right now!" Tetsuzaemon Iba stood in front of the door to the 7th Squad's captain's office, a hint of annoyance in his voice as he spoke.

"C'mon Iba," the boy said, "I need to talk to Sajin-sensei about something important."

"No, the captain is busy and doesn't have time to see you right now. And as long as you are in these barracks, you will address him properly as 'Captain Komamura' and me as 'Lieutenant Iba.'"

"Damn it Iba, move!"

"I'll inform you when the captain can see you, but he's busy. Now leave before I throw you out."

"Iba. Move. If you don't get outta my way, I'm gonna kick your ass." The remainder of the 7th Squad just watched as the boy continued to argue with, and then threaten, their lieutenant. They stood dumbfounded that a Soul Reaper, especially one from another squad, would have the gall to barge into their barracks and confront their lieutenant.

"Hado #1: Sho!" The onlookers were stunned by the sight that was before their eyes as the dust settled. The boy stood with his arm extended while Lieutenant Iba was now at the end of the hall sitting under a small crater he had left in the wall from his impact with it.

"Damn it," he yelled as he climbed to his feet and drew his Zanpakto, "now you've done it! I'm gonna teach you a lesson about respecting your superior officers!" He began to advance on the boy, who had drawn his own Zanpakto from his back.

"What's going on out here?" Everyone in the hallway jumped at the booming voice that had just echoed up and down the hallway. They glanced toward the office door where Captain Sajin Komamura now stood, his eyes glancing over the scene before him. When his eyes came to rest on the boy, he paused.  
"Hojo," he said in his gentle yet commanding way, "what did I tell you about coming into my barracks and making a racket?"

"Yeah, yeah," Hojo replied, "I know. But Iba wouldn't let me in to see you. I told him it was important; you really should find a more competent lieutenant."

"Why you…" Iba's sentence was cut short by Komamura's raised hand; a sign for him to hush. He placed his other large hand on Hojo's back and pushed him inside the office.

"Iba," he said as he turned to reenter the office, "anytime Lieutenant Nakama stops by you are to let him in unless I'm meeting with the Head Captain. Understand?" Iba nodded and the door to the office snapped shut. Inside the small room, Hojo sat on a cushion on one side of a table while Komamura proceeded to the opposite side.

"Now," he said as he sat down, "I assume you didn't come to my barracks to make a racket and attack my lieutenant. Is there something you'd like to discuss with me?"

"Yeah," Hojo replied, "and sorry about all that mess outside. Anyway, I've got something to tell you, but I don't know how to say it."

"Don't be nervous; you know I'll listen to anything you have to say."

"Well," Hojo said nervously, "I achieved my bankai a while ago and, as I'm sure you know, I've also been petitioning to take the Captain's Proficiency Exam for a while now, but Head Captain Yamamoto denied my request because there were no open captain's positions." Komamura nodded; he already knew where this discussion was going.

"Anyway," Hojo continued, "now, with the defection of Aizen, Gin, and…Tosen," he paused; Tosen was kind of a touchy subject with the two of them, "there are three positions open."

"And so you're going to petition to take the test again?"

"Well, that's the thing. I've already requested again, and this time my request was accepted. I came to get a recommendation from you. I'm going to demonstrate my bankai for the Head Captain, but I also want to get the required six recommendations and thee acceptances just in case. I also wanted to ask you to come and observe my bankai. Captains Soifon, Kyoraku, and Ukitake have agreed to observe, but I'd feel more comfortable if you were there as well." As he finished speaking, Hojo presented the captain with a piece of paper with six signature lines, five of them already filled. Komamura took up the paper and signed.

"Of course," he said, "I'll recommend you and observe your bankai. You had nothing to be nervous about; you know I would've said yes." Hojo smiled and Komamura could tell the boy was bursting with happiness. He had known for a long while that the boy's dream was to become a Soul Reaper captain, and soon he could finally realize that dream.

"Thanks Sajin-sensei," Hojo said as he stood up, "for everything you've done for me. The Head Captain said he'll send a Hell Butterfly when the exam is to begin." With that, Hojo bowed to the captain, exited the office, and took off in the direction of the 1st division barracks. Komamura smiled after him as both thought back to the day they had first met.

* * *

** Like I said, sorry this chapter's so short. I promise, the next chapter will be _much_ longer glances shiftily from side to side. The relationship (and the reason Hojo calls Komamura _Sajin-sensei_ will be explained in the next chapter. Also, don't be surprised when another character, Uchiki Shizuka, shows up. He was spawned from a cool idea I had one day. Anyway, if you have any questions, just ask in the review or PM me. Next chapter up soon!**

**(P.S.- At the time this story takes place (around the end of the Soul Society Arc), Hojo was installed as the temporary replacement for Kaien Shiba, the late Lieutenant of Squad Thirteen).  
**

_La lune du sang_


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright as I said, in this chapter, Hojo's relationship with Tosen and Komamura will be explained. For future reference, expect many of the captains (especially Komamura and Soifon cause they're my all time favorites) to appear in my stories, as the captains are, in my opinion, some of the best characters in the work. Anyway, this chapter is unusually long for me (4-5 documents on Word/OpenOffice), so sorry if you get bored reading it. I will admit, it _is_ a lot of backstory, but it's necessary as I plan to develop this character more than any other original character I've come up with (with the possible exception of Fox from _Cracks on the Mirror's Edge_).**

**I would love to write in the "Japanese style" ("shunpo" instead of "flash steps," "Rukongai" instead of "Rukon District," and "Shinigami" instead of "Soul Reaper(s)" in particular), but to save on the stress that dub-only watchers would feel, I'm using the English-ized versions. LET ME KNOW IF YOU ALL'D RATHER HAVE IT THE OTHER WAY. THE FUTURE WRITING STYLE OF THIS FANFIC AND MOST OF MY FUTURE ANIME/MANGA-BASED FANFICS DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU GUYS WANT.**

**Again, I own only the stuff I write and props to Kubo-san. I'm the only one with authority to post this story and this site is the only one with permission to host it. If you'd like to post it somewhere else (i.e.- a Bleach fansite), PM/e-mail me and give me credit in the post. If I find that this has happened, I will contact the site and have the story removed and have them site you for plagiarism, internet security, and all that shiz. Sorry for being so cutthroat, but I'm proud of my work (especially this story) and want to protect it. Anyway, R&R and enjoy.**

**(P.S.- I think the girls in the next dorm room may be summoning demons based on all the noise that comes from them...so if I suddenly disappear for a year, you know where I went.)  
**

* * *

Both Sajin and Hojo vividly recalled the day when they ran into each other, completely by accident. Many things had changed since that day, when Kaname Tosen was still a part of Soul Society, Sajin was so self-conscious he hid under a mask, and Hojo was but a mere child.

_**BEGIN FLASHBACK**_

Sajin had been walking down one of the Rukon District's many streets with his friend Kaname Tosen by his side. The two of them were heading out to the more uninhabited, out-of-the-way areas of the District to train with each other. It was during this walk down a somewhat deserted roadway that Hojo Nakama and Sajin Komamura quite literally bumped into each other.

A younger Hojo had been playing on the rooftop of his aunt's house in the Rukon District, even though he had been commanded against it. Back in those days, Hojo was as mischievous as children could come. Every time his aunt said 'Don't jump,' Hojo jumped as high as he could. On this particular day, he had been up on the roof playing 'Soul Reaper.' His aunt had left to go shopping, so Hojo knew he had a few hours to spend up on the roof. As he was playing, he moved closer and closer to the side of the house, where Sajin and Tosen happened to be walking down the street below.

As the pair of Soul Reaper captains headed down the street, they heard a commotion above their heads. Unbeknownst to the captains, young Hojo had strayed too close to the edge of the rooftop and, during one of his movements, slipped right off the side. He shouted in terror as he plummeted to the street below. Before either Sajin or Tosen had time to look up (**AN: Yeah, I know Tosen's blind, it's just an expression)** the boy had come crashing down on top of Sajin's head as Tosen snatched the stick young Hojo had been using as a makeshift sword before it could hit him. Sajin reached out and caught the boy before he hit the ground as his mask cracked, then shattered into several pieces that landed at his feet. He glanced at the boy in his hands, who was now staring up at the captain's canine face. Sajin slowly placed young Hojo on the ground.

"I'm sorry young one," he said as he turned to leave, "that I've frightened you with my appearance." He began to walk away with Tosen in tow before he felt a tug on his haori. He turned to see the boy staring up at him and smiling.

"You don't scare me, Mr. Dog!"

"Really? I don't frighten you?"

"No! I think you look cool!" Young Hojo's face beamed with fascination as he stared at the Seventh Division's captain. Sajin turned and knelt down in front of the boy (which still made him about twice the height of young Hojo) and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Tell me young one," he asked the boy, "what's your name?"

"I'm Hojo Nakama, Mr. Dog!" Young Hojo, still beaming, placed his hand on Sajin's knee and stood on his tiptoes to get closer to his face.

"Hey, are you a Soul Reaper, Mr. Dog?" As Hojo peered into his face, Sajin couldn't help but smile at the boy.

"As a matter of fact," Sajin answered, "I'm not only a Soul Reaper, I'm the captain of Squad Seven."

"Wow," young Hojo said as he backed up a few paces and acted as if he was swinging a sword, "that's so cool. I wanna be a Soul Reaper, too! I wanna be a captain, just like you so I can fight Hollows and help lost souls and all that cool stuff!" Sajin walked over and placed a hand on the boy's head.

"Maybe someday, you'll be able to become a captain," Sajin told him, "but you'll have to go through the Soul Reaper Academy first. Tell you what, when you prepare to enter the academy, let me know and I'll put in a good word for you."

"Really?!" Young Hojo's eyes sparkled with excitement as Sajin nodded. The boy hugged the captain (**AN: Hm...maybe I should've put 'the captain's leg' due to the size difference**) and profusely thanked him. Sajin finally stood and turned to leave. As he did, he paused and turned back to face young Hojo.

"By the way," he told the boy, "my name...is Sajin Komamura." He smiled as young Hojo flashed a wide smile of his own and waved as the two captains departed.

* * *

Years later, Hojo (no longer 'young Hojo') did in fact enter the Soul Reaper Academy. His instructors all marveled at how well he was excelling in his training, partly due to his zeal to achieve the same rank as Sajin. During his years in the academy, Hojo not only trained at the Academy, but he also had Sajin and Tosen training him out in the Rukon District. Over the years since they had met, Tosen and Hojo had also grown to be close friends.

Hojo was currently out in the Rukon District, sparring with Tosen as Sajin watched. Hojo and Tosen had separated after their most recent exchange, Tosen standing calmly and Hojo panting and holding his Zanpakto in front of him.

"Again!" Sajin's voice boomed from the side of the battlefield.

"Aww," Hojo complained, "come on, Sajin-sensei, haven't we done enough already?"

"Not if you want to achieve captain rank." Hojo groaned and turned to face Tosen, who was already making his first move.

"Suzumushi Nishiki, Benihiko!" Before Hojo could react, the captain's attack was already flying at him. Numerous copies of Tosen's blade were shooting through the air, aimed straight at the academy student.

"Shit!" Hojo cursed and used flash steps to dodge the attack and close the distance between the two. He swung his Zanpakto in a downward arc as Tosen effortlessly blocked with his own sword. The two continued to exchange blows as Sajin stood on the sidelines, shouting orders to Hojo.

"Keep your guard up!"

"Balance your offense and defense!"

"Make sure to take every opportunity to counterattack.!"

"Good. Now show me your Kido." Hojo forced Tosen back off of him and widened the distance between them.

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado #31 Shakkaho!" After Hojo finished the chant, he held his hand out and the red, ball-shaped Kido flew toward Tosen. The blind man took a small step to the left to dodge, but Hojo was ready.

"Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Bakudo #61 Rikujokoro!" Before Tosen could react, six rods of light slammed into his body, paralyzing him. Hojo smirked and moved in to finish things.

"Alright Tosen," Sajin said with a smirk of his own, "I think you can stop taking it easy on him now." Tosen nodded and suddenly broke the Kido's hold over him. He flash stepped away from Hojo and held his hand up to the ring on the hilt of his Zanpakto.

"Bankai. Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Korogi!" Without warning, a large sphere of darkness enveloped both Tosen and Hojo as the latter could do nothing but stare. _What is this!? I can't see, I can't hear, I've lost all my senses!_ Hojo began to panic slightly as the darkness closed in around him. Suddenly, Tosen's blade came from nowhere, the flat side of it smacking Hojo in the ribs. Several more flat strikes came flying in from all directions as Hojo vainly swung his sword after them. After a while, one flat strike to the cheek caused him to fall over onto his back as he coughed and rubbed his jaw.

"Alright, alright," he said, "I've had enough. There's no way to beat this." Soon, the dark bubble dissolved and Hojo saw Tosen sheathing his sword as Sajin approached and offered his hand to help the boy to his feet.

"Sorry," Hojo said and bowed to Sajin, "I let you down, Sajin-sensei. I gave in too easily, but there was just no way around Captain Kaname's bankai."

"Don't apologize," Sajin responded, "you did well, considering Tosen's skill level. Your skills have improved since last time; you're faster, stronger, and more proficient with your Kido. But there is always a weakness in any technique; never forget that." Hojo nodded and winced as a sharp pain shot through his stomach.

"That's enough for today," Sajin announced, "we'll continue next time. Now, let's take you to Captain Unohana and let her patch you up."

* * *

At their next training session, Hojo came confident that he would be able to beat Tosen's bankai this time around, but when he showed up, Tosen was nowhere to be found.

"Hey Sajin-sensei," Hojo said as he walked up, "where's Captain Kaname? He's not someone who I'd think would be late."

"He's not coming," Sajin replied, "the Head Captain gave Squad 9 an assignment, so he cannot come today."

"Well then, what am I gonna be doing?"

"The same thing you do every day," Sajin replied, "except your opponent today...will be me." Hojo said nothing as Sajin walked to the opposite side of the field and drew his Zanpakto.

"Today," Sajin instructed, "I want to see how well you can communicate with your Zanpakto. You are to fight me with your shikai and demonstrate all the abilities your Zanpakto has taught you, understand?" Hojo nodded and drew his Zanpakto.

"Put down your roots, Kobayashi!" As he said his release command, white roots made of pure reishii came from the ground and wrapped themselves around the sword. When the glow faded, Hojo was now holding a naginata which appeared to be made from gnarled wooden tree branches. Before Sajin could react, Hojo stabbed the point of his Zanpakto into the ground. Several large roots erupted from the ground and entwined themselves around his canine sensei.

"I've got you now, Sajin-sensei!" Hojo grinned and shifted his Zanpakto in the ground, causing the roots to tighten around Komamura. The captain just smiled back at his student and began to focus his spiritual energy. With a burst of strength, Komamura was able to break the roots and draw his own Zanpakto. He swung his large fist at his young student and instantly a giant, disembodied hand came flying out of nowhere, heading right for Hojo. The boy swore, pulled his Zanpakto from the ground, and flash stepped away just seconds before the giant hand shattered the ground he had been standing on. He quickly regained his composure and charged his sensei, dragging the tip of his Zanpakto across the ground as he ran. A trail of shining green plants followed the tip of his Zanpakto as it moved through the ground. Hojo reached his sensei and swung his Zanpakto in a fast upward arc, which Komamura was easily able to block. The two exchanged a few blows before Hojo increased the distance between them. He channeled his spiritual energy through his Zanpakto as he swung it about. As he did, the nearby trees shone with a green aura and began to attack the captain, who dodged the majority of the strikes, but still couldn't come out of the barrage uninjured.

"_Now_," Hojo cheered, "I do have you!" He began to spin his Zanpakto as all the plants he had created and effected during the fight rushed toward Komamura, forming a sphere around him. Hojo gave a final swirl to his Zanpakto before swinging it hard to his left. Suddenly, the plants that had gathered around Komamura exploded, sending small bits of earth flying in all directions.

"Heh, looks like I've finally w—." Hojo's sentence was cut short by the large disembodied hand, now wielding an equally large blade, came crashing down from the sky. The boy managed to just avoid the blade, but was struck by all the earth that was crushed and sent flying by the impact. He landed on his back a few feet away and coughed, trying to regain the air that had been forced out of his chest. Komamura appeared over the boy, placed one foot on Hojo's stomach, and pointed his own blade down at the boy's face.

"Didn't I tell you never to let your guard drop?" The captain grinned down at Hojo before sheathing his Zanpakto and helping the boy to his feet.

"Yeah," Hojo said, "you did. I realize you're trying to help me get stronger, Sajin-sensei, but did you really have to use your shikai? That thing could've killed me if I wasn't fast enough to get out of the way."

"That is how the best training is accomplished," Komamura replied, "by placing the student in life-threatening situations. If I trained you normally, where there was minimal chance for you to be harmed, you wouldn't be able to function properly when you were forced into a life or death situation. That is why I push you to your limits; why I put your life on the line in your training. When you must defend your life, and the lives of others, I want you to be able to fight at your best." Both Komamura and Hojo stood silently; no words were needed to express the feelings between the two. Hojo simply smiled at his sensei, who turned and began walking off in the direction of the Fourth Squad's barracks with his student in tow.

* * *

Finally, the day had come. Hojo was graduating from the Soul Reaper Academy and would finally become a true Soul Reaper. After years of Academy training and the extra, grueling training sessions he had gone through with Komamura and Tosen, he would start on the road to fulfilling his dream. He now stood near his friends Momo Hinamori, Renji Abari, and Izuru Kira. The four of them were currently waiting for the graduation ceremony to start.

"Hey guys," Renji exclaimed as he peered around the curtain, "there's two Soul Reaper captain's out in the crowd!" Momo and Izuru gasped in excitement and rushed over to peer around the curtain. Hojo simply walked over to join them and took a quick glance into the crowd. It didn't take him long to spot the hulking frame of Komamura, helmeted since he was in public, and the smaller, slight form of Tosen standing next to him.

"Yeah," Hojo told his friends, "that's Sajin Komamura of the Seventh Division and Kaname Tosen of the Ninth Division. They're actually here for me." His three friends turned to him and Hojo was immediately flooded with questions.

"What?! What makes you think they'd be here for you!" said Renji.

"Really?! How do you know them?! When did you meet them?!" said Momo.

"What did you do that got you under the eyes of two captains?" said Kira.

"Alright, Alright," Hojo said as he tried to force the three off of him, "just shut up and give me a minute. I met Captain Kaname and Sajin-sensei when I just a kid. Ever since, we've been really close friends. Sajin-sensei has even been secretly training me after my Academy classes, usually making me go up against Captain Kaname." His three friends were speechless; they simply stared at him in wonder. Suddenly, the audience began to clap and one of the Academy professors began to give the opening speech. Soon after, he called out the special accelerated class.

"And now I present to you the members of Class 1, the special accelerated class: Izuru Kira, Renji Abari, Momo Hinamori, and Hojo Nakama." At the mention of their names, the four students walked out on stage. The audience clapped (**AN: As I assume that there weren't many family members of theirs in the crowd**) as they stood on stage and received their recognition. Hojo looked over at Tosen and Komamura as he followed Momo off-stage. Tosen simply nodded in approval and, even though he couldn't see Komamura's face through the mask, he knew his sensei was smiling.

Later that night, Momo, Renji, and Izuru had gone out to celebrate. Hojo would have joined them, but Komamura had contacted him and said to meet him in the Seventh Division's barracks. He made his way there and found Komamura waiting for him in his office, a fresh pot of tea ready for the two of them. Hojo came and sat next to his sensei and took a sip of his tea.

"First," Komamura said after a moment, "let me congratulate you on your graduation. Now, I've managed to find out where you'll be posted when you join the 13 Court Guard Squads next month. Sadly, you will not be in my division or Tosen's. Your first position as a Soul Reaper will be in an unseated position in the Fifth Division under Captain Sosuke Aizen. The good news is that your friends Momo Hinamori, Renji Abari, and Izuru Kira are also being stationed in that division. Though you start in such a low position, you can rise in rank through hard work and dedication. I will continue to train you out in the Rukon District so you can work toward attaining your bankai. If you try hard enough, you'll be a captain soon enough."

"Sajin-sensei," Hojo said with some difficulty and trying to choke back tears, "thank you."

_**END FLASHBACK**_

A few days after Hojo had gotten Komamura's agreement to observe his Captain's Proficiency Exam, the captain was contacted by Hell Butterfly while sitting in his office.

"All captains," the Head Captain's voice ordered from the butterfly, "who are to observe the Proficiency Exam of Lieutenant Hojo Nakama are to proceed to the First Division barracks immediately." With that, the butterfly flew out of the window and returned to its roosting point. The captain stood and departed the office, inwardly anxious to see if his student was ready…to become a captain.

* * *

**I was actually _very _proud of this chapter. Sorry the fight scenes are crap, but I didn't want too much detail there cause of all the detail everywhere else. If some of you are wondering why Komamura took to Hojo so quickly, it's because Hojo was the first person (who could actually _see_ him) to see past his canine exterior and see that he was the same as everyone else. Hojo addresses him as _Sajin-sensei_ because of the training Komamura put him through. He addresses Tosen as "Captain Kaname," while others would use "Captain Tosen," to indicate the familiar tense (in Japanese-style, this would be indicated as "_Kaname-san"_ where most characters would use either "_Tosen-teichou" _or "_Tosen-sama_"). PM/e-mail me with any questions.**

**Also, don't expect my other character, Uchiki Shizuka, to show up until the next fanfic. All I'll tell you about him now is that he's the third seat of Squad 2, which makes him the Corps Commander of the Detention Unit of the Onmitsukido (for dub-only people, that's the Stealth Force (this is the one term I _absolutely _refuse to change)) and his Zanpakto is named "Nijuushin."**

**R&R and no flaming, please! Until next we meet,**

_La lune du sang_


	3. Chapter 3

**So I'm finally back from the abyss called college. Sorry it took so long to update, but I've been super busy finishing up my freshman year of college. Now that I'm off for the summer, I _should_ have time to write more, but my family could always ruin that. Anyway, I'm sorry if Hojo seems a little super powerful in this chapter, but keep in mind that this IS just a bankai demonstration and not an actual fight. I'll get to that (fighting) in a different story. Enjoy!**

**Legal stuffs: Bleach and all characters and related media except Hojo and his Zanpakto are copyright to Tite Kubo. Fanfiction . net is the only site with permission to post this fic. If you wish to use this story for something else (an RP group, fansite, etc) PM me for permission and please give me credit. Thanks!  
**

* * *

"Are all captains present?"

Yamamoto's voice easily carried across the small room where the group of Soul Reapers stood. In the middle of the room stood Hojo, standing confident in the face of Head Captain Yamamoto, who was standing a few feet in front of him. Along one of the walls, Shunsui Kyoraku, Juushiro Ukitake, Soifon, and Sajin stood in a line, waiting to see Hojo's bankai. Shunsui replied to the captain with a casual 'yes' and turned his eyes to Hojo.

"Good. Now then," the Head Captain said as he turned to Hojo, "please state your name, rank, division, and the reason why you wish to take the Captain's Proficiency Exam."

"Well," Hojo said nervously, "I'm Lieutenant Hojo Nakama of Squad 13. Um…Head Captain, I don't mean to interrupt the proceedings or anything, but this isn't going to be a good place for me to display my bankai. My Zanpakto doesn't like it. Is there any way we can move the test outside into one of the Seireitei's courtyards?"

"Do you mean to tell me," the Head Captain replied, "that you can communicate that well with your Zanpakto already?"

"Well yeah," Hojo said, "I've been able to talk with Kobayashi for a while now."

Yamamoto sat for a moment, regarding the boy that stood in front of him.

"Very well," he finally said, "the Exam shall be moved outside immediately."

Hojo smiled and gave a quick glance to Sajin, who met the boy's glance with eyes that shone with pride. The small group of Soul Reapers made its way down to the first floor of the First Squad's barracks and out into the midday sunshine of the Soul Society. They were met by another group of Soul Reapers, this one all captains, led by Toshiro Hitsugaya; behind him stood Retsu Unohana and Byakuya Kuchiki. Hojo was the first out of the door and he had to stop fast in his tracks to avoid ramming into Hitsugaya.

"Oh, Toshiro," he said with a bow, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were there."

"That's alright," Hitsugaya replied, "but you should address me as 'Captain Hitsugaya.'"

"Fine 'Captain Hitsugaya'," Hojo sighed, "what are you all doing here anyway?"

"We came to sit in on your exam," Byakuya replied, "if that's alright with you, Head Captain."

Yamamoto nodded and led the group out into one of the courtyards.

"Now then," he said turning to Hojo as the other captains took their places behind him, "tell me why you wish to become a Captain in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

"I want to protect the residents of the Soul Society," Hojo said as he gazed directly into Yamamoto's eyes, "and give back to them as much as they have given to me. I want to help guide lost souls to the Soul Society and protect those souls still in the Human World and the souls here from the Hollows."

"Very well. Now, please release your Zanpakto."

Hojo nodded and activated his shikai. His sword quickly transformed into its branch-looking naginata shape. He then held it at his side and awaited further instructions.

"You are sure," Yamamoto said after the boy had finished, "that you know and have full control over your bankai?"

"I am."

"Then show me," Yamamoto commanded, "the true power of your Zanpakto."

Hojo paused a second and closed his eyes. He held his Zanpakto vertically in front of him with the tip only inches away from the courtyard stones.

"Bankai…"

As the word left his mouth, roots made of white spiritual energy sprouted from the ground and entwined themselves around the naginata and began to retreat into the ground, the Zanpakto going with them. As the blade dipped into the ground, white spiritual energy spread out in a circle from Hojo's feet and large trees instantly grew out from the circle. By the time the white glow had faded, the crowd of captains was standing in the middle of a small grove of trees.

"…Shindenmaru Kobayashi!"

"He's disappeared," Soifon said suddenly, "and not just physically. I can't even sense his spiritual pressure anymore!"

"That's my bankai's special ability."

The captains gasped as Hojo's voice echoed through the grove of trees. They turned as his spiritual pressure returned to the area. Hojo stepped out from within the tree behind them.

"As long as I stand in one of the trees," he explained, "I'm completely hidden; my voice, my body, my spiritual pressure, everything."

He held out his hand as the branches above him rustled. A copy of his shikai form Zanpakto fell from the boughs of the trees and into Hojo's hand.

"Captain Soifon," he said, "will you please release your Zanpakto and attack me as if I was an enemy of the Soul Society?"

Soifon looked at Hojo with a confused look on her face before turning to the Head Captain. Yamamoto nodded and Soifon turned back to Hojo and drew her blade.

"Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!"

After releasing her Zanpakto, she charged Hojo, her stinger poised for a strike. As she neared the boy, the branches above him swooped down in front of him. Soifon plunged her blade into the branches, but struck nothing but leaves. Another swooping of the branches made Hojo reappear, his blade held at Soifon's throat.

"Sorry captain," he smiled, "but you've just been killed. See, I can control every bit of tree in this forest and, by combining that with my ability to merge with the trees, I can practically teleport out of danger. Of course, if you were to chop down one of the trees while I was in it, I'd feel the pain."

"Impressive," Yamamoto complimented as Soifon and Hojo lowered their weapons, "but why wouldn't your opponent simply leave?"

"Because they can't. Come on, I'll show you."

Hojo led the captains to the edge of the forest and leaned against some of the outer trunks.

"Go ahead," he told them with a gesture toward the outer rim of trees, "just try and escape."

Several of the captains drew their weapons and tried to break through the outer ring of trees, but to no avail.

"It's no use," Ukitake said, "we cannot break through these trees."

"There's no way through the canopy either," Soifon said as she jumped down from one of the branches, "the branches are too thick and too strong."

"Yep," Hojo nodded, "until I drop my bankai or until I'm defeated this forest stays up and anyone inside is trapped. Best of all is that all my shikai abilities still work."

"Very good," Yamamoto said as he turned to face Hojo, "you have impressed me today, Lieutenant Nakama. Not only have you mastered your bankai, but you can communicate with your Zanpakto on a personal level already. I see no problem in promoting you to captain. Now, which of the three open positions would you like to take?"

"Well," Hojo said as he let his bankai drop and the forest dissolved into white spiritual particles, "if it's no trouble, Head Captain, I'd like to be placed at the head of Squad 5. The lieutenant of that Squad is a friend of mine, and after what just happened, she needs someone she can trust to lead her division."

Hojo didn't have to turn around to tell that Toshiro had reacted to his mention of Momo. He had actually met Momo in his first few days as an Academy student. After hanging around with her for a few weeks, she took him to meet her grandmother, and that had been where he'd met Toshiro for the first time. The two hadn't gotten along at first, but soon they began to hang out more and more until they became close friends.

"Hm," Yamamoto said after a pause as Hojo bowed, "very well. Lieutenant Hojo Nakama of Squad Thirteen, I hereby promote you to the position of Captain of Squad Five. Since we are pressed for time and there is much work to be done to recover from the betrayal of Aizen, Gin, and Tosen, there will not be a formal promotion ceremony. Your first duties as captain will be to introduce yourself to your new followers and help them make any repairs to the squad that are necessary."

"Yes sir," Hojo said as he bowed again, "I understand. Thank you, Head Captain; I will fulfill my duties to the best of my abilities."

"This test is now over," Yamamoto announced to the other captains, "you are all dismissed."

Several of the captains began walking off immediately, heading back to their respective squads to oversee the repair work. Only Sajin and Toshiro lingered to speak with Hojo.

"You did very well," Toshiro said as he turned to leave, "congratulations. I look forward to working with you."

"I agree with Captain Hitsugaya," Sajin said as he laid one of his large hands on Hojo's shoulder and watched Toshiro depart, "you did fantastically well. Now you can finally live your childhood dream. You are a Soul Reaper captain; I'm very proud of you."

Hojo, finally overtaken by excitement, suddenly wrapped his arms around Sajin's waist **(AN: if he can even reach that high)**.

"Sajin-sensei," he shouted in excitement, "I did it! I'm a captain! I-I can't believe it! Oh, thank you, Sajin-sensei, thank you!"

Sajin smiled down at his student and placed a hand on the boy's back. He had watched the boy grow, both in body and ability. In truth, Hojo was kind of like a son to the captain.

"Alright now," Sajin said as he pulled the boy off of him, "you have new duties to attend to, Captain Nakama."

"Alright," Hojo nodded as he and his sensei turned to leave, "I'll take care of everything right away."

With that, both teacher and student headed off in the direction of the Fifth Division's barracks, the new captain standing tall.

* * *

**So there you have it: my interpretation of the Captain's Proficiency Exam. I didn't feel like writing the promotion ceremony (partly because I know it's at least mentioned in an episode I haven't seen) so I had Yamamoto come up with an excuse. I'm actually pretty proud of this story; be sure to tell me what you think and keep your eyes out for Hojo in my next Bleach fic. 'Til next time!**

**La lune du sang  
**


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